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Vermont Department for Children and Families Reach Up Eligibility Rules Economic Services Division 2200 74

2. The provider of care must be at least 18 years of age, or at least 16 years of age if the provider has a high school diploma, GED, or attends secondary school full-time.

c. Paid expenses converted to a monthly amount shall be deducted up to a maximum of $175 per month.

1. If a participant's dependent care expenses are below this maximum, transportation to and from the dependent care facility may be deducted as part of the expense, up to the maximum of $175 per month.

d. Payments for dependent care provided by a Reach Up household member, another legally liable relative, or a legal guardian do not qualify as necessary dependent care expenses under this rule.

2252.3 Earned Income Disregard (08/01/2024, 23-28)

a. The Department shall disregard the first $350.00 per month of the total unsubsidized or subsidized earned income of each eligible Reach Up household member plus 25 percent of the balance remaining.

b. The earned income disregard includes a standard allowance used in place of the amount of actual expenses for: 1. Taxes;

2. Insurance;

3. Retirement;

4. Union dues and fees; and

5. Other reasonable employment expenses.

2253 Excluded Income (08/01/2024, 23-28) a. Excluded income is defined as income that is not included in the Reach Up household’s earned or unearned income, which includes the following: 1. Retroactive corrective payments, that resulted from a Department underpayment, in the month received (rule 2218); 2. Home produce used by the household for its own consumption; 3. Any income received by a recipient of SSI/AABD, which includes disabled individuals with effective 1619 (b) status by the Social Security Administration received SSI/AABD and gainfully employment, who is living in the Reach Up household; 4. All income to an undergraduate student, including both a parent and a child in the Reach Up household, from student grants, loans, or work/study if: i. Such loans or grants are made under a program administered or insured by the U. S. Commissioner of Education, including Basic Educational Opportunity Grants;